There is recurrent need for rapid sterilization of materials and tools exposed to hazardous infectious agents such as Ebola and other harmful bacteria and pathogens. What is proposed is the equivalent of an air shower for persons entering a cleanroom, but in this case it is a rapid, highly efficient means for the sterilization of the surface of exposed hazmat suits while the person is wearing the suit. In the case of surgical instruments, the rapid sterilization is accomplished in a scaled down version of the system disclosed. In other embodiments, the light shower may be used for the disinfection and sterilization of a room, such as a hospital room. An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the appended figures.